Characterization of Cellular Elements in Healed Cultured Keratinocyte Autografts Used to Cover Burn Wounds

To the Editor.—  We read with interest the careful study by Petersen et al.¹ We have noted very similar findings in biopsy specimens taken from wounds previously treated with cultured autografts and cultured allografts.^2,3 We have found that AE1 was expressed suprabasally in both autografted and allografted sites for up to 16 weeks after grafting (12 weeks after healing). However, we were able to follow up patients for 6 months after grafting, and by this time (18 weeks after healing), expression of AE1 had reverted to its usual basal keratinocyte staining pattern.The findings of basal staining with AE1 in healed mesh graft interstices may well be a function of the time at which biopsy specimens were taken. Mansbridge and Knapp⁴ have studied changes in patterns of keratin expression during acute wound healing. They found intense staining of the suprabasal layers of the epidermis with AE1 within